This is how the story goes. A footballer 1______ (accuse) of taking money for 2______ (deliberate) not
scoring goals so as to let the other team win. We went to interview him. He denied taking money but we were
skeptical. 3______ we arranged an interview 4______ the footballer and the man 5______ (suppose) to bribe
him. When we saw them together we guessed 6______ the footballer's body language 7______ he was not
telling the truth. So we wrote 8______ article suggesting he was guilty. 9______ was a dilemma because the
footballer could have demanded damages if we were wrong. He tried to stop us publishing it 10______ later
we were proved right.

                                                        How I Turned to Be Optimistic
     I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and
my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some
people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never
hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
     I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying
goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see
the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to
come back was hardly in my head then.
     The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at
once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost - having to study in three schools as a result of
family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became
even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often
sad, and saw no end to "the hard times".
     My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I
wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the
doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
     From my experiences I have learned one important rule:almost all common troubles eventually go away!
Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my
life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.

1. How did the author get to know America?

A. From her relatives.
B. From her mother.
C. From books and pictures.
D. From radio programs.

2. Upon leaving for America the author felt _____.

A. confused
B. excited
C. worried
D. amazed

3. For the first two years in New York, the author _____.

A. often lost her way
B. did not think about her future
C. studied in three different schools
D. got on well with her stepfather

4. What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?

A. She worked as a translator.
B. She attended a lot of job interviews.
C. She paid telephone bills for her family.
D. She helped her family with her English.

5. The author believes that _____.

A. her future will be free from troubles
B. it is difficult to learn to become patient
C. there are more good things than bad things
D. good things will happen if one keeps trying

     In my profession as an educator and health care provider, I have worked with numerous children infected
with the virus that causes AIDS. The relationships that I have had with these special kids have been gifts in my
life. They have taught me so many things, but I have especially learned that great courage can be found in the
smallest of packages. Let me tell you about Tyler.
     Tyler was born infected with HIV: his mother was also infected. From the very beginning of his life, he
was dependent on medications to enable him to survive. When he was five, he had a tube surgically inserted
in a vein in his chest. This tube was connected to a pump, which he carried in a small backpack on his back.
Medications were hooked up to this pump and were continuously supplied through this tube to his bloodstream.
At times, he also needed supplemented oxygen to support his breathing.
     Tyler wasn't willing to give up one single moment of his childhood to this deadly disease. It was not unusual
to find him playing and racing around his backyard, wearing his medicine - laden backpack and dragging his
tank of oxygen behind him in his little wagon. All of us who knew Tyler marveled at his pure joy in being alive
and the energy it gave him. Tyler's mom often teased him by telling him that he moved so fast she needed to
dress him in red. That way, when she peered through the window to check on him playing in the yard, she
could quickly spot him.
     This dreaded disease eventually wore down even the likes of a little dynamo like Tyler. He grew quite ill and,
unfortunately, so did his HIV-infected mother. When it became apparent that he wasn't going to survive, Tyler's
mom talked to him about death. She comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying too, and that she would
be with him soon in heaven.
     A few days before his death, Tyler beckoned me over to his hospital bed and whispered, "I might die soon.
I'm not scared. When I die, please dress me in red. Mom promised she's coming to heaven, too. I'll be playing
when she gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me."

1. What is the boy Tyler's attitude towards death?

A. optimistic.
B. pessimistic.
C. sorrowful.
D. fearful.

2. Tyler requested the writer to dress him in red when he died simply because _____.

A. red is a lucky color
B. red might help to cure him
C. his mom could spot him easily
D. he could find more mates by wearing red

3. Which of the following might serve as a possible title for this passage?

A. My unusual profession.
B. A caring mother.
C. Mother and son.
D. Dying in red.

4. The underlined word dynamo in the fourth paragraph here means _____.

A. a promising and helpful youth
B. an extremely energetic person
C. a rare and beautiful flower
D. a magic and understanding superstar